Autosamplers, autoloaders and systems and devices using them

Abstract

Certain configurations described herein are directed to autosamplers. In some instances, the autosampler may include a support comprising a body configured to receive two or more articles at separate sites of the body. The autosampler may also include a first motor coupled to the support and configured to rotate the support in an x-y plane, and a second motor configured to move the support in a z-direction to load one of the at least two articles at the separate sites in the body of the support. An encoder may also be used with the autosampler if desired.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A thermal gravimetric analysis device comprising:
 an oven configured to receive a first article comprising a first sample; and 
 an autoloader comprising
 a support configured to receive the first article and a second article at two different sites of the support to permit loading of at least one of the first article and the second article into the oven, 
 a first motor coupled to the support and configured to rotate the support in an x-y plane to position the first article at a loading position, and 
 a second motor configured to move the support in a z-direction to load the first article positioned at the loading position onto a wire support of the thermal gravimetric analysis device and to remove the first article from the wire support and place it back on the support. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The thermal gravimetric analysis device of  claim 1 , further comprising a balance configured to measure a weight of the first sample in the first article. 
     
     
       3. The thermal gravimetric analysis device of  claim 1 , further comprising a needle configured to puncture the first article before positioning the first article at the loading position. 
     
     
       4. The thermal gravimetric analysis device of  claim 1 , further comprising a sampling tube statically placed directly above the oven and configured to sample vapor generated during thermal gravimetric analysis of the first sample in the first article. 
     
     
       5. The thermal gravimetric analysis device of  claim 4 , in which the sampling tube is not removed prior to loading the first article into the oven or unloading the first article from the oven. 
     
     
       6. The thermal gravimetric analysis device of  claim 4 , further comprising a gas chromatography device fluidically coupled to the sampling tube. 
     
     
       7. The thermal gravimetric analysis device of  claim 4 , further comprising a mass spectrometer fluidically coupled to the sampling tube. 
     
     
       8. The thermal gravimetric analysis device of  claim 1 , further comprising an encoder spatially coupled to the support and configured to provide a position of the support using a code read from the encoder. 
     
     
       9. The thermal gravimetric analysis device of  claim 8 , in which the encoder comprises an array of distinguishable elements of varying lengths present on an encoder support, in which the varying lengths of the distinguishable elements are used to generate a code for subsets of the array of distinguishable elements. 
     
     
       10. The thermal gravimetric analysis device of  claim 9 , further comprising a single sensor configured to read the distinguishable elements.